https://people.com/music/earth-wind-and-fire-beloved-drummer-fred-white-dead-at-67-drumming-with-the-angels/

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Earth, Wind and Fire Drummer Fred White Dead at 67: 'Drumming with the Angels'

"He was a mentor, an amazing drummer, and a man who had the biggest heart," wrote Sheila E of the "beloved" percussionist

By Charmaine Patterson Published on January 2, 2023 03:19 PM

Earth, Wind and Fire's Fred White has died at the age of 67.

Fred's brother and fellow group member, bass guitarist Verdine White, announced the loss on Instagram Sunday.

His cause of death has not been made public.

"Dearest Family Friends and Fans.....Our family is saddened today With the loss of an amazing and talented family member, Our beloved brother Frederick Eugene "Freddie" White.🙏🏾🙏🏾💔💔🥁🥁," Verdine wrote alongside images of Fred playing the drums and posing with the 6-time Grammy-winning group.

Verdine referenced EWF star Maurice White and lead vocalist Roland Bautista, who died in 2016 and 2012 respectively, along with former manager Monte Keith White, who died in 2020, and wrote that Fred now "joins our brothers Maurice, Monte and Ronald in heaven and is now drumming with the angels! 🥁🥁"


Verdine went on to salute the late drummer as a "Child protégé, member of the EWF ORIGINAL 9, with gold records at the young age of 16 years old! He was brother number 4 in the family lineup. ❤️❤️❤️❤️"

Reflecting on Fred's personal life, Verdine said that "at home and beyond he was the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous! And we could always count on him to make a seemingly bad situation more light hearted!🙏🏾😍🙏🏾"

"He will live in our hearts forever, rest in power beloved Freddie!!" wrote Verdine, adding, "We thank you all for your love, blessings and support at this time. Soar high baby bro, we love you to the shining ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️and back! 🙏🏾🕊️🙏🏾🕊️🙏🏾🕊️🙏🏾 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈"

In the comment section, Fred was remembered by his fellow musicians and artists.

Lenny Kravitz wrote, "Sending my love and deepest condolences to you and the family. I was blessed to have been in his presence and blessed to have been influenced by him. A true king. Rest in power."

Actor Dule Hill also commented, "🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Sending love you brother"

Earth, Wind and Fire remembered Fred on its official Instagram page with solo performance during the group's stop in Essen, Germany, for its world tour in 1979.


Famed drummer Sheila E paid tribute on her own Instagram with a photo of the group, praising Fred in the caption.

"He was a mentor, an amazing drummer, and a man who had the biggest heart," she said. "To be able to stand next to him and watch his technique and listen to his playing was remarkable! I will never forget it."

Added Sheila E: "A true icon who will be missed. Uncle, u will be extremely missed. Thank u for Sharing with me ur gift. I love u. We shall celebrate you!!! 💕🙏🏽"

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In a lengthy post, Questlove shared some of Fred's greatest moments over the years, and credited him as the one "who was the spark that inspired me to drum", adding in part, "The live shows of Earth Wind & Fire were super epic because (along w Pfunk) they were the first out the gate to introduce theatrics & magic for black concerts levitating & laser & explosions n' whatnot. His elevation to stage level from the ground WAS epic for 81 trust me on this. So epic."

Fred's decades-long career began when he was still in high school as he hit the stage with Donny Hathaway, and became a member of Earth, Wind and Fire when he was a teenager, according to Pitchfork.

Before exiting the group in the 1980s, he served as the drummer for the group's international hits like "Shining Star", which reached No. 1 on the coveted Billboard Hot 100 list. He reunited with Earth, Wind and Fire when it was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, the outlet added.

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https://www.okayplayer.com/news/earth-wind-fire-drummer-fred-white-has-died.html

Earth, Wind & Fire Drummer Fred White Has Died


JAELANI TURNER-WILLIAMS

Jaelani Turner-Williams is a contributing news writer for Okayplayer


Fred White, drummer of legendary soul, R&B and funk band Earth Wind & Fire died on New Year’s Day, although no cause of death was given.
Earth Wind & Fire drummer Fred White has died. The original and longtime member of the legendary soul, R&B and funk band was 67. On Monday (January 1), Verdine White, Fred’s sibling and fellow member of EWF wrote a statement on Instagram, saying that Fred “joins our brothers Maurice, Monte, and Ronald in heaven and is now drumming with the angels.”

verdine_white
Verified
Dearest Family Friends and Fans.....

Our family is saddened today
With the loss of an amazing and talented family member,
Our beloved brother Frederick Eugene "Freddie" White.
🙏🏾🙏🏾💔💔🥁🥁

He joins our brothers Maurice, Monte and Ronald in heaven and is now drumming with the angels! 🥁🥁

Child protégé, member of the EWF ORIGINAL 9, with gold records at the young age of 16 years old!
He was brother number 4 in the family lineup. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

But more than that at home and beyond he was the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous!

And we could always count on him to make a seemingly bad situation more light hearted!🙏🏾😍🙏🏾

He will live in our hearts forever, rest in power beloved Freddie!!

We thank you all for your love, blessings and support at this time.
Soar high baby bro, we love you to the shining ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️and back!
🙏🏾🕊️🙏🏾🕊️🙏🏾🕊️🙏🏾


Verdine added that Fred was a “wonderful bro” who was “always entertaining and delightfully mischievous!”


Also posting a tribute was rock musician and actor Lenny Kravitz: “Sending my love and deepest condolences to you and the family. I was blessed to have been in his presence and blessed to have been influenced by him. A true king. Rest in power,” he wrote on Instagram.

Born on January 13, 1955 in Chicago, Eugene ‘Freddie’ White began drumming at 9-years-old. Joining EWF – first known as The Salty Peppers – at 19-years-old in 1974, Fred went on to contribute drums on eight EWF albums and some of the group’s biggest hits, including “Boogie Wonderland,” “September” and “Shining Star.”

Prior to joining EWF, Fred was a drum prodigy, touring with Donny Hathaway before he completed high school. Although Fred temporarily left the group in the early-1980s, he returned for their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2000, continuing to contribute vocals to material for Bonnie Raitt and Diana Ross, including the latter’s 2021 comeback album, Thank You.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/02/arts/music/frederick-white-dead.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage§ion=Obituaries

Fred White, Drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire, Dies at 67
He provided the beat on unforgettable hits like “September,” “Let’s Groove,” “Shining Star” and “Boogie Wonderland.”
By Alex Traub
Published Jan. 2, 2023
Updated Jan. 3, 2023, 4:58 p.m. ET


Fred White, who as a drummer with Earth, Wind & Fire propelled some of the funkiest songs in pop history, helping to provide a soundtrack to the nation’s weddings, bar mitzvahs, high school reunions and any other function at which people of all ages dance, died on Sunday. He was 67.

His death was announced on Instagram by his brother Verdine White, the band’s bassist. The announcement did not say where he died or give the cause.

Fred White was a member of Earth, Wind & Fire during a pivotal period, from the mid-1970s to the early ’80s, when the group made much of its most beloved music. He played on “Let’s Groove,” “Boogie Wonderland” and “Shining Star” and, most notably, on “September,” which Spotify lists as having been played on its platform 1.18 billion times. The songs’ first few bars alone have long been known to move people to the dance floor.

Earth, Wind & Fire was founded and led by Fred and Verdine’s half brother, Maurice White. Though the band’s music was recognizable for its joyous horn section and smooth vocals, Maurice, in his 2016 memoir, “My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire,” described the group as “a band of drummers.”

Maurice himself was himself an accomplished drummer (he was for a few years a member of the Ramsey Lewis Trio), and it was not out of character for four percussionists to play all at once during an Earth, Wind & Fire concert. For two years, Fred White and Ralph Johnson both performed onstage with full drum kits.

“Fred was the brick wall,” Maurice White wrote in his memoir. “He provided a rock-solid tempo and a rock-solid feel, priceless qualities in a drummer. He was one of the best things going for us.”

Frederick Eugene Adams was born on Jan. 13, 1955, in Chicago. He shared a mother with Maurice, Edna (Parker) White, a homemaker. His father, Verdine Sr., was a podiatrist.

Fred began playing the drums at 9. (Maurice called him a “child prodigy.”) Fred, like Verdine Jr., changed his surname to White so that it would be clearer that he was related to Maurice.

Fred grew up “in the ghetto in Chicago,” he told Modern Drummer magazine in 1982, and gained a sense of purpose from the drums. He began playing gigs when he was about 13. By 14, he was in a band that appeared in nightclubs. At 15, he was playing with the soul singer Donny Hathaway and making up excuses when he could not attend a session because of school.

After Fred toured with the rock band Little Feat, Maurice and Verdine decided that he had the chops to play with Earth, Wind & Fire. Fred was still a teenager.

In addition to Verdine, Mr. White’s survivors include a sister, Geri. Maurice White died in 2016 at 74. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available.

In his memoir, Maurice described Fred during his years with the band as a “daredevil spirit” who was “cocky, young and a bit arrogant” and created problems with his bandmates, stemming in particular from the unusual situation of having two drummers performing onstage at the same time.

Speaking to Modern Drummer, Fred White acknowledged that his early years sharing drumming duties with Mr. Johnson were a “battle,” since he was “used to being the only drummer and used to carrying the band.”

The group eventually dropped the dual drummer setup and shifted Mr. Johnson’s responsibilities to vocals and other percussion instruments, including the congas.

“After we stopped doing it,” Fred White told Modern Drummer, “I missed it.”